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WILLIE HIGHTOWER
(Astralwerks)
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This magnificent, heart-pounding reissue (due out this Tuesday) encapsulates everything that’s great about 1970s Southern soul. Hailing from Gadsden, Alabama, Willie Hightower recorded the 18 tracks collected here at Rick Hall’s Fame studio, where such hits as Etta James’s "I’d Rather Go Blind," Otis Redding’s "You Left the Water Running," and Aretha Franklin’s "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" were born, and it is no exaggeration to say that his largely unknown work equals those revered popular favorites. Smooth but gritty, with urgent phrasing and a rapturous croon that could melt female hearts and make sinners repent, Hightower’s voice goes down on one knee when necessary but can also express great joy and conviction. He remakes Joe South’s "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" as a galloping, up-tempo call to glory; it’s one of his three singles. The album’s 18 tracks (Willie released only one album in the 1970s) include a relaxed "If I Had a Hammer" and Sam Cooke’s "Somebody Have Mercy" as well as Hightower originals. The good news is that he still lives in Gadsden. And he’s reported to be working on his second album.
